Resurgent Colts flexed their muscles against Spartans

Marian's proud football program came up with a huge home win on Friday night.

The Colts battled through some adversity to upset North Schuylkill 27-26 in an Anthracite League clash

One-point wins make a world of difference to a team's mentality; they build confidence.

The main reason that the Colts prevailed? For the first time in perhaps in several years, their physicality was noticeable.

The swagger that at one time permeated throughout the program during its heyday resurfaced against the Spartans. Football teams can't possibly compete if they fail to be physical, certainly not in the AFL.

Stephan Hall, all 5-foot-7 of him, looked much bigger than his listed height. But he kept making big hits and never yielded an inch, let alone a yard. By night's end, Hall totaled 11 tackles and he made two fumble recoveries.

"We've had some adversity this year, but we are starting to overcome it," Hall proudly proclaimed after the win. "We've been fighting through some things, but we've stuck together."

Behind leaders like Hall and fellow senior Lukas Damian, that is.

You can't win in any sport without leadership. Someone has to step to the fore, as Hall and Damian did on Friday.

Damian showed up as big as anyone, when he was pressed into service to run the football team after starting quarterback K.J. Snerr re-injured his shoulder and may very well be lost for the season.

"Every practice I take a few reps (at quarterback), so I have to be ready," Damian offered. "This (one) was for all the hard work that we've done. Losing (K.J.) was tough so someone had to step up and make something happen."

Hall stepped up and Damian followed suit late in the third quarter when the Spartans fumbled. Hall smothered the loose ball as if it were a gold bar at the North Schuylkill 30, before Damian got his pistons churning.

There was nothing fancy about the Colts approach, but their physicality - as football coaches like to call it - was rising steadily at this point. North Schuylkill defense was hardly fooled about the offensive approach, and there was no deception intended on the part of Marian.

Give the ball to Damian on a direct snap and let him find his way through the North Schuylkill defense. Damian went for five yards to the 25 on the first play, six more to the 19 on the second, seven to the 12 on the thrid and then completed his personal scoring drive with a 12-yard touchdown run.

"This says a lot about the character of our kids," Stan Dakosty, Marian's longtime head coach, said. "We had kids step up big for us against a quality football program. When you lose your quarterback and you turn to a kid like Lukas Damian, you can't help but know he's going to get the job done for us. Lukas really stepped up in that (touchdown) series."

Dakosty knows his football - he's been coaching it at the same school for 37 years - and he pointed to last week's win over Conwell-Egan as the turnaround for his Colts' fortunes.

Tied at the half, Snerr and Damian hooked up on a fly pattern that produced a touchdown. It was one simple play, but one big moment for Dakosty's team.

"I look back to that play against (Conwell-Egan) and I really feel that helped to turn things around, and we were able to take that (momentum) into tonight's game,"

Dakosty said.

And make a statement of sorts.

North Schuylkill had its highlights, including a terrific comeback after trailing by 21 points. The Spartans gathered a full head of steam mainly because of several underclassmen, namely sophomore quarterback Bobby Grigas.

Glenn Weist and freshman Major Jordan also delivered jolts of energy. Remember their names because you're going to hear a lot about them over the next three-plus seasons.

Keep in mind, this football team is a baby-faced group that at times will look sullen and non-committed. It needs to hurry up and find an identity over the next five weeks.

"We really have to look at some things over the next couple of days," Wally Hally, North Schuylkill's first-year head coach, said. "We just seem to want to (turn it on) at our own pace, and expect to be good, but it doesn't happen that way.

"We play at times with a high energy level, then we just (relax) and that's something (the coaches) are going to have to address this coming week. We'll sure as heck try to fix it."

There are flaws on both sides of the ball for the Spartans, but they're all fixable. They have bodies, they have skilled players and they just need to find a way to bring their best on a consistent basis.

North Schuylkill has become an enigma of sorts. It blanked Schuylkill Haven, the preseason favorite to win the AFL, but slipped against Jim Thorpe and Marian.

"You have to come ready to play on every single down," Hall said. "There are times when we really look like a good football team, but then we have those breakdowns. It becomes frustrating, for sure, but it's a matter of putting it all together."

And, that is something that Marian seems on the cusp of doing. The Colts have posted back-to-back wins and are only one game from hitting level on the season.

"We always thought we'd be a pretty good football team with this group, but you're never sure," Dakosty said.

That, of course, is something North Schuylkill knows all too well.

The Spartans can be good, but when is up to them.

Go figure

Hazleton Area has strung together two straight wins, the latest against an old rival Pittston Area. The Cougars usually struggle with the Patriots, but they put their best foot forward on Friday. Can Hazleton Area make it three straight? Crestwood will provide that answer come Saturday in Mountain Top. Stay tuned.

Shenandoah Valley continues to improve each week, even though it lost at home to Jim Thorpe 27-14. The Blue Devils came close to gaining momentum early on. Most observers felt that if they took the lead, the outcome could very well have been closer, if not a different result altogether.

Mahanoy Area again showcased its high-powered offense in a 47-7 win over Minersville. Poor Carson Long is going to have to take umbrage this Saturday afternoon. The clock should never stop from the opening kickoff.

Injury front

Frank Nietz, Marian's outstanding two-sport athlete, is recovering from a neck injury that he suffered two weeks ago. The senior is recovering fine and could be ready to make a return later in the season.

The Colts lost Snerr with his second shoulder injury on Friday night. He injured the same left shoulder on his team's very first offensive play in the opener against Lehighton.

North Schuylkill junior Brett Budwash may be missing in action over the next few weeks with a leg injury. He was turning into a solid center for the Spartans before going down in the Marian game.

Friday's tap city

We hit Week 6 with some interesting games, but Mahanoy Area at Carson Long is not one of those for obvious reasons. The Golden Bears will be on the-watch lists come Weeks 7-through-10.

North Schuylkill at Tamaqua: Something's got to give and the Spartans won't be in a giving moodâ¦ Panther Valley at Marian: Colts will look to get to 3-3 in a major rivalry contestâ¦ Shenandoah Valley at Schuylkill Haven: Blue Devils can't be taken lightlyâ¦ Hazleton Area at Crestwood: Cougars seem to be in a growling mood these days, Saturday night specialâ¦ Pine Grove at Williams Valley: Ho, ho, ho, two undefeated teams in the Twin Valley Conference. When are these two teams going to play AFL teams?

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